Suzumeko, Meet the Host Club!
by AuraGemi
Summary: When Suzumeko, an old friend of Haruhi's, starts attending Ouran High School, she somehow gets involved in all the action that takes place in the Host Club.
1. Chapter 1: The Encounter

Hey there! This is just a random idea that came to me one day. After a little bit of pre-planning, I decided to start writing the story and the result of my work is shown below. Please read and enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**The Encounter**

The store's bell tinkled as a 16-year-old girl with hip-length black hair and hazel eyes ambled inside. Seeing as it was an uncharacteristically cold and rainy summer day, nobody found it surprising that she was clad in a long-sleeved jacket, a scarf, pants, and boots. Her nose and cheeks were slightly pink from the bite of the chilly wind. Once inside the warm store, the girl loosened her scarf and began searching the aisles for her favorite Pocky. Spotting it at one of the bottom shelves, she grabbed a few of the boxes and headed for the checkout counter. Her footsteps halted and she looked over her shoulder when she heard voices behind her.

"You guys didn't have to come with me you know," said a girl with short brown hair and big brown eyes.

"Aww, but we want to see where you buy the instant coffee that commoners use," replied two identical boys with short, spiky hair. The girl with black hair watched as the group filed into the aisle. There was a tall, blonde-haired boy with purple eyes and a suave air about him, a black-haired boy in glasses carrying a clipboard full of numbers, another black-haired boy who seemed to give off a quiet feel, and a short, blonde-haired boy with golden-brown eyes and a pink bunny. All that testosterone in one area made her feel a bit uncomfortable, but her euphoria was overpowering her nervousness. Summoning her courage, the black-haired girl turned toward the group and called out.

"Haruhi!"

Curious as to who had shouted, the group looked in the direction of the small teenager striding towards them. The girl with brown hair and eyes smiled when she saw who it was.

"Hi Suzumeko. How have you been?" she asked as they embraced.

"Fine. It's been a while, huh?"

"Yeah."

Feeling all of their eyes on her, Suzumeko looked at Haruhi's male companions.

"Oh I'm sorry," Haruhi said when she followed Suzumeko's gaze. "Suzumeko, this is the Host Club from Ouran High School."

"Host Club?"

"It's a wonderful club where gorgeous boys with too much time on their hands entertain pretty ladies who likewise have too much time on their hands," interjected the tall, blonde-haired boy very dramatically, pushing his way through the crowd. He pulled a rose from thin air and placed a hand under Suzumeko's chin. "Just think of it as an elegant playground for the super rich," he elaborated, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Would you please stop that?" Suzumeko asked in quite a monotonous way. Startled that his act didn't work on her, the boy backed up.

"That is the Host Club's King, Tamaki Suou," Haruhi went on like nothing had happened. "The twins are Kaoru and Hikaru Hitachiin, the guy with glasses is Kyoya, next to him is Mori, and Honey is the one with the bunny." She gestured towards the individuals as she continued introducing. "Everyone, this is one of my friends from middle school, Suzumeko."

"Oh, is she a commoner too?" one of the twins asked as the twosome approached her.

"Hikaru!" Haruhi said warningly.

"What? I'm just asking a question," he responded innocently as he and his brother rested their elbows on Suzumeko's shoulders. She started to blush and feel nervous, but not because of how cute these boys were. Unable to stand it for very long, Suzumeko ducked out from under them, earning suspicious stares from the group.

"So tell us why you're wearing such plain clothing," Hikaru continued.

"Huh?" Suzumeko glanced down at her attire. "I don't know, because it's comfortable I guess…"

It looked like Hikaru was going to ask another question, but he clamped his mouth shut when Haruhi gave him the evil eye.

"Suzu-chan, you're so cute!" Honey exclaimed happily. "If you want, you can play with Usa-chan sometime."

Guessing that Usa-chan was the pink bunny, Suzumeko replied," Oh, okay. Thanks for the offer Honey." She flashed him a kind smile.

"Oh! That was so cute!" Suddenly, Tamaki was hugging her, encouraging her nerves to kick in again.

"Please let go."

"I can't, you're just too cute!"

Suzumeko did the same kind of ducking motion to get out of Tamaki's grip.

"Don't mind him, he can be an idiot at times," Kyoya vocalized with a sly grin.

"Oh, that's not nice, Kyoya!" cried the King.

"Anyway," Suzumeko interrupted," Haruhi, you know how we applied for Ouran together and I didn't get accepted?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, they looked back over my records and now I'm in! I'll be going there next semester."

"Really? That's great! I'm so happy for you, and I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on, huh?"

"Yeah," Suzumeko nodded. "Well, I've gotta get going. I'll see you later!" She waved as she turned around and headed for the checkout counter once again.


	2. Chapter 2: Ouran and the Host Club

Hi everyone. Things start to get a little more entertaining (and if I have to say so myself, weird) in this chapter. Please read and enjoy!

P.S. In case you don't already know, I use _()()()_ to represent a separation in time.

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**Chapter 2**

**Ouran and the Host Club**

It was Suzumeko's first day at Ouran and she was incredibly nervous. She knew that the school was filled with rich people and she started to wonder whether they would treat her badly because of the fact that she was a commoner, but then again, Haruhi was a commoner and she seemed to be doing fine. Yeah, she just needed to stop worrying. Everything would be okay.

As Suzumeko stepped onto the huge campus, she noticed that she had completely forgotten about getting a uniform. Sure, she had dressed in her best clothes, but they weren't visually near the yellow dresses that the girls wore at all. Five minutes into the new semester and she was already earning strange looks…she hated being stared at.

"Oh well, no use crying over it now," she thought. So she stood up straight and went to find her classroom.

By the time she had found the right place, the bell had rung and she was late.

"I'm sorry, I had trouble getting here," Suzumeko apologized as she opened the door.

"Ah, yes, Miss Suzumeko Satsuma. It's quite alright. Please take a seat," the teacher told her. She spotted Haruhi, Kaoru, and Hikaru near the back and headed in their direction, their faces being the only ones she recognized. She sat in the chair behind Haruhi.

As the teacher started lecturing, Suzumeko felt someone poking her.

"So why are you wearing that?" asked one of the twins.

"I forgot to buy a uniform," she responded.

"Can you even afford one?" the other questioned.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, stop bugging her," Haruhi turned to face them.

"What? We just want to ask our new friend a question." They were playing the innocent act again.

"Hmm…Now that you mention it, how _will_ I get a uniform?" Suzumeko pondered.

"No problem. Come to the Host Club after school and we'll give you one," answered one of the twins.

"What? No, that's too much. I can't accept that."

"Well, if you don't accept it, then how else will you get a uniform?"

Suzumeko stayed quiet. She honestly couldn't think of any other way that she could possibly get her hands on one of those dresses.

"Then it's settled. After school, you're coming to the Host Club with us," the brothers replied when they detected her thoughts.

_()()()_

The final bell sounded and a frenzy of talking and laughter rumbled into existence as everyone left. Suzumeko, Haruhi, and the Hitachiin twins gathered up their belongings and headed for Music Room #3. There wasn't anybody in there except for the Host Club members, who were preparing for their guests.

"Ah, princess Suzumeko. It is a pleasure to see you again," Tamaki said as he moved toward her and bowed.

"Uh…what?" She looked quizzically at Haruhi who shrugged.

"He treats all girls like that," she stated simply.

"Suzumeko is in need of a uniform," the twins interjected. "Kyoya, do we have any extra uniforms lying around?"

"Yes, there's one in the changing room," the black-haired boy replied, not even looking up from his laptop. Suzumeko nodded and went to change clothes. It felt like the uniform was brand new and she wondered whether it could have possibly been a coincidence. When she drew back the curtain, she jumped out of astonishment because the Host Club was waiting outside to see how she looked in the dress.

"Aww, you look so cute!" Tamaki hugged her again, making her feel uncomfortable.

"Get off of me!" She ducked out from under his arms like she had done before. As she looked at the rest of the group, she realized what had been bothering her all day.

"I knew something was off. Haruhi, why aren't you wearing a girl's uniform? That's a boy's uniform."

"Due to unfortunate circumstances," Kyoya started," Haruhi is concealing her gender and working as a Host."

"Circumstances meaning debt…" Haruhi muttered under her breath.

"That's not right!" Suzumeko got fired up all of a sudden. "Haruhi, how much do you owe them? Maybe I could lend you some money."

"I doubt that. I accidentally broke their vase and now I'm trying to work off 8 million yen."

"8 million yen?" Suzumeko nearly shouted. "That's a crime, trying to make someone pay off that kind of money!" She pointed an accusing finger at the boys.

"Calm down, Suzumeko," Haruhi reasoned. "I really don't mind if people think I'm a boy, and I'm doing just fine as a Host."

"But it's deceptive, Haruhi!"

"Yes, that may be true, but it's the only way I can pay off my debt."

Suzumeko knew there was no point in arguing now; she knew all too well how these money-matters went, after all, how was it that she had just acquired her uniform?

"Fine, so be it," she grumbled, trying to disperse her irritated aura.

"Why don't you stay until the Host Club activities are over? That way, we can walk home together," Haruhi tried to cheer her friend up.

"Alright," Suzumeko agreed. She chose a table and sat down, admiring the high-quality teacups. Before she knew it, the place filled up with girls and the activities began. As time progressed, Suzumeko learned that Honey _really_ liked sweets, Mori rarely spoke a word, Kyoya seemed to be quite the business-man, Tamaki knew just the right words to make all the girls swoon, and the twins…well the twins had an interesting relationship.

Suzumeko had just so happened to end up at Hikaru and Kaoru's table and she watched in slight disgust as the two started acting in a way that showed more emotions than the simple display of "brotherly love" as they called it. As the other girls floated on cloud nine, Suzumeko sat there, completely unmoved by what was occurring, and the twins noticed.

"What's the matter Suzumeko? Aren't you enjoying yourself?" they asked.

"Actually, that behavior kind of freaks me out."

"What? But no girl can resist this kind of connection between two good-looking brothers. Are you sure that you feel nothing?" asked the twin who Suzumeko thought was Kaoru.

"To tell you the truth, I don't feel a thing."

The girls surrounding the table looked at her with wide eyes.

"You're Suzumeko, the new student, right?" one of them asked. "But it's impossible to not feel anything."

"Then I guess I'm accomplishing the impossible," she shrugged.

Suddenly, Honey called over.

"Hey, Suzu-chan! We have some really delicious cake over here. Do you want some?"

Well if it gave her a reason to get out of this awkward situation, then of course she wanted some cake.

"Sure Honey, I'll be right there," she answered as she stood up. "You'll have to excuse me." She bowed her head slightly and walked across the room to Honey and Mori's area, the twins staring after her in awe.

"Here." Honey pushed a piece towards her once she had taken a seat.

"Thank you." Suzumeko took a bite and found it to be very delectable.

"This is pretty good."

"I know, right? Oh, do you want to hold Usa-chan?"

"Um, sure," Suzumeko replied as Honey handed her his bunny. It was very cute and fluffy. For the remainder of the Host Club, Suzumeko actually had a fairly good time, now that she didn't have to be around Hikaru and Kaoru's "brotherly love." She got to know a little bit more about Mori and Honey, like the fact that they were both in their 3rd year of High School and that they were cousins. By the time the Host Club had ended, she was in a better mood than she had been in at the start.

"So what's your impression of the Host Club?" Haruhi asked as they began the journey home together.

"Weird, especially the twins."

"Yeah, it does take a while to get used to the atmosphere in there."

Haruhi said it like it was possible for Suzumeko to actually become accustomed to how those boys behaved, but to be absolutely honest, she wasn't so sure if she would ever be able to feel completely comfortable around boys at all.


	3. Chapter 3: Renge

Hi guys. Here's chapter 3 for you. I hope you like it!

Like always, I use _()()()_ to show a separation in time.

Also, one other thing that you might want to know is that I usually use elipses (...) at the end of a line to signal the start or end of a flashback or dream sequence. For example:

Blah blah blah blah blah...

Blah blah.

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**Chapter 3**

**Renge**

The next day started out much better for Suzumeko because she didn't have as many eyes on her due to a difference in clothing. Thanks to Haruhi and the twins' help, she was also able to find her classes more easily. Although it would still take her some time to become familiar with this monumental school, she felt like she was at least beginning to get the hang of it.

The final bell rang and the classes were dismissed. Suzumeko waved goodbye to Hikaru, Kaoru, and Haruhi before she strolled towards the front gates of Ouran High School. As she passed through the perimeter, she felt her phone vibrate in her bag so she pulled it out and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi Suzumeko," came her mother's voice. "Your dad and I are both up to our eyeballs with work so I'm afraid we won't be able to come home until later. I thought I should let you know."

"Oh, okay," Suzumeko replied, slightly disappointed. "I guess I'll see you later this evening then."

"Yep. Sorry, I have to get back to work sweetie. Talk to you later."

"Bye." She hung up and sighed deeply. Now what was she supposed to do? She really despised being in that house all by herself. It was depressing, seeing the place so motionless.

"Maybe I could go to the Host Club." Suzumeko couldn't believe that she was saying it, but she guessed that it would be better than going home, so she turned around and navigated her way to Music Room #3. She knew immediately that not too much time had passed since the bell had rung because only the Host Club members were there. As she stepped through the door, they turned their heads in her direction.

"Suzumeko? What are you doing here? I thought that you went home?" Haruhi asked.

"My mom called me last minute to tell me that they're not going to be there for a while. I don't feel like being there by myself so I thought maybe I could pass the time here. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is," Tamaki said. "Please, take a seat."

Suzumeko walked over to the table she remembered Mori and Honey sitting at the day before and made herself comfortable. In no time at all, the room was bustling with customers once again. Leaving the twins to their antics, Suzumeko gladly listened to the conversations at Honey and Mori's table. When the Club's time ran out and the bubbly girls began leaving, she felt in quite a good mood herself.

"Hey, Suzumeko, how often are your parents gone after school?" Tamaki asked from out of nowhere.

"Oh, actually, quite often these days. I rarely see them at home anymore."

"Well if that's the case, then why not just keep coming here after school? We would be more than happy to have you here."

"Umm, okay," she replied, not really knowing what to say to that surprising offer. Haruhi smiled at her as they started to walk home together.

"You're doing just fine. It's only your second day and people are already affected by your personality," she said.

"What do you mean by that?" Suzumeko was confused.

"You're the kind of person who people want to be around, once they get to know you a little. I'd say that something like what Tamaki just did is definitely a sign that people are starting to get to know you."

Before she could find the right words to respond with, Hikaru and Kaoru came up behind them.

"You girls are walking home?"

"Yep," Suzumeko said simply.

"Well then why don't you let us give you a ride?"

"Really? Uh, sure."

As the boys ran off ahead to open the door of the limo for them, Haruhi gave Suzumeko a glance that was clearly meant to say," See? What did I tell you?"

_()()()_

Suzumeko just stood there, leaning against the wall with an irritated expression on her face, her arms crossed. She was wearing a black maid's dress that had a circle skirt and puff top long sleeves. It had lacey white trim around the neck, cuffs, and hem, and a white bib-front apron with frills at the shoulders and skirt. It came with matching black heels and a white oval maid's hat decorated with white lace. She was holding an empty silver platter in one of her hands, having recently emptied it of all food items.

How was it that she had ended up in this position again? Oh yeah, it was because of that Renge girl…

A few weeks after Suzumeko's entrance, it had been a regular old Friday at Ouran, that is, until Renge found it necessary to jump on a desk and loudly announce that there was going to be a promotional party in Music Room #3 after school.

"The Host Club will be more extravagant than ever!" she cried. This wasn't news to Suzumeko; she had already heard Tamaki and the others talking about it before and after the Club activities. This party didn't concern her, though, because she wasn't planning on going. She wanted to go home and get a head-start on her homework, which was why Suzumeko found herself becoming so annoyed with the audacious blonde. She was standing right in Suzumeko's line of sight, preventing her from reading the board, not to mention that she was nearly yelling at the top of her voice.

"Could you get down? You're blocking the board," Suzumeko said as politely as she could. Everyone looked at her in a strange way…great, more staring. They probably thought that she was a know-it-all honor student who couldn't stand such socially-stimulating distractions.

Renge hopped off of the desk and strolled towards the place where Suzumeko sat.

"You're Suzumeko, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry I haven't had time to introduce myself. I'm Renge, the manager of the Host Club," the blonde stated, smiling at her.

_This_ girl was the manager? How had that happened? She was strongly tempted to throw a skeptical glance at Haruhi and the twins, but she stopped herself at the last second.

"You seem to be more than a visitor to the Host Club, am I right?" she continued.

"Haruhi and I have been friends since middle school."

"Oh, so I guess you are a commoner after all." It had only been a few minutes and Suzumeko already didn't like Renge. "Well listen, you know about the party tonight, right?"

"No, I had no idea. It's not like you were standing on a desk right in front of me yapping about it or anything," Suzumeko mentally retorted. Instead, she verbally replied," Yeah?"

"We're a little short on hands. How would you like to be a maid? You know, carry around a tray of food? I'd be willing to pay you."

Suzumeko tried to explain to Renge how she didn't want to be a maid, but the stubborn girl wouldn't listen. After a few minutes of going back and forth, the bell rang and everybody started to leave.

"Great! See you there at seven!" Renge winked at her and left before she could refuse.

_()()()_

Suzumeko dressed in her best clothes and left the house at exactly quarter to seven, arriving right on time.

"What are you wearing?" Renge criticized once she caught a glimpse of Suzumeko.

"What? These aren't good enough?"

Renge got a really devious look on her face, giving Suzumeko a bad feeling about what was to come. Before she knew it, she was being dragged into the dressing room by the psychotic blonde. A black and white maid outfit was pushed through the curtains and she was instructed to change. Reluctantly, Suzumeko followed Renge's orders and re-emerged from the dressing room clad in the Renge-approved attire.

"There. That's much better."

"I feel ridiculous," Suzumeko mumbled. Renge suddenly burst out in high-pitched laughter. Hers was the most annoying cackle Suzumeko had ever heard.

"Don't be silly, you look adorable!" She handed her a silver tray stacked with sandwiches. "Now get out there and look pretty. The guests will be arriving soon," she said, waggling a finger at her and ushering her through the door…

And now here she was, resting against the wall with the empty tray, trying to avoid any awkward conversations. She hoped that that one tray was all she would be required to serve, but sure enough, Renge came to refill her platter. This was obviously not going to be a fun night.


	4. Chapter 4: The Party

Gomenasai for disappearing for so long. Two words: Writer's Block.

Actually, I have much more written down than you might think. I have stuff all the way up until Chapter 9. The problem was, the original Chapter 3 would have moved the story along too quickly, so I had to think of something to help space it out. There might be one more chapter after this one to help with the spacing out, and then I'll get back to what I've already written. Do you know what that means? Quicker updates! ^_^

Oh, I almost forgot to mention this. You're gonna need to know that 2000 yen is about 25 US dollars.

Anyway, read, enjoy, review (I love hearing from you!). Bye for now!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**The Party**

Suzumeko trudged around the room, trying to maintain a happy smile while she served the guests. All she wanted was for this to be over so she could get home in time to start on her homework. Just because she didn't like being here didn't mean she had the right to make anyone else have a bad time by spreading her contagious attitude.

"Oh, is that you Suzumeko?" called a girl in an elegant, floor-length dress. Suzumeko recognized her as Momoka Kurakano, the class vice-president.

"Oh, hey Kurakano. I didn't know that you'd be coming."

"Of course I came! I can never miss out on a Host Club party."

"Ah."

"I was just wondering what _you_ are doing here? I thought you turned down Renge's offer. So, did you change your mind?"

Well, technically, Renge had given her no choice in the matter, but she didn't want to be a bummer so she just responded with a simple," I guess you could say that."

"Well I'm glad you did. It's nice seeing you outside of class." She looked Suzumeko up and down. "And that outfit looks very pretty on you."

As Suzumeko had said before, she didn't like this costume. It represented everything that she wasn't, frills and all. It made her feel as if she wasn't herself.

Just to be polite, Suzumeko replied," Thanks." Thinking of something, she asked," Uh, do you know when this party ends?"

"I think it lasts until ten."

_Two and a half hours long_? Oh boy, and it had only been thirty minutes. At this rate, it would take forever for this to be over!

Suzumeko donned a smile and said," Well, I hope you enjoy your time here. Now if you'll excuse me, I should probably get back to work."

"Of course. Oh, and Suzumeko?" She turned back to the brunette. "I hope you have fun too."

Suzumeko nodded and made her way through the crowd, offering sandwiches to all of the party guests, lost in thought. She really appreciated what Kurakano had said, it felt good to know that people liked being around her, but it didn't feel good to be forced into this situation against her will, and since she was just such a goody-goody-two-shoes she couldn't stand letting people down, even if they weren't people she necessarily liked. If she could deal with letting someone down, she wouldn't have even showed up here, but Renge had said they needed servers, so she had come. Suzumeko kept meeting other people she knew from class, all of whom kept saying things like what Kurakano had said. After about an hour, this tray too was emptied, and Suzumeko walked to the other side of the room, setting her platter on a table and leaning against a wall in the shadows, arms crossed over her chest.

Why again was she feeling so bitter? Everyone kept saying how happy they were to see her, how great this party was, so why couldn't she get herself to have a good time too? After all, all work and no play can drive a person crazy. This social stimulation should have been a relief from her mundane day-to-day life. But, now that she thought about it, this _wasn't_ play. This was still work.

Suzumeko closed her eyes and sighed, frustrated with how she was so socially awkward that she couldn't even enjoy a party. She remained there, practically hidden in the shadows, for about a half hour. She knew she was still supposed to be serving guests, but she didn't think she could take another uncomfortable situation. Eventually though, her solitarily was disrupted. She lifted her head as she heard approaching footsteps. There were two boys she recognized as Juniors striding toward her…Oh great, more testosterone heading her way.

"Hey there," the taller one of the two said. "What brings a pretty little thing like you to this party?"

Usually, Suzumeko would have blushed at such a comment (she _was_ still a girl after all), but she was not in the mood to be flattered by flirting right now. She just stared at them, trying to hide her nervousness by remaining completely still.

"Hey, I know you," the other boy blurted. "You're Suzumeko, aren't you?"

"Yeah?"

"You mean that smart Sophomore that joined a month ago?" the first boy asked the second. "Well," He nodded his head as if to say that he approved," nice to meet you."

Suzumeko started to mutter a reply before the boy interrupted.

"I didn't know that they had lady hosts," he remarked, scanning his eyes up and down her outfit. "If I had known that, I would have come to the Host Club sooner."

"There aren't female hosts," Suzumeko stated simply, inwardly snickering at the inside joke. "Renge tricked me into helping out tonight."

She clamped her mouth shut as soon as the last word left her lips. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. The boys stared at her with playful looks in their eyes.

"It sounds like the little lady here isn't having the best time. Tell us, Suzumeko, what is it that's bothering you?"

"Everything!" she wanted to scream, but didn't. Instead she just kept her mouth shut and shifted her gaze to the floor. She wasn't over-exaggerating with her unspoken thought. It was the truth. She was missing out on special homework time, she was dressed in clothes that she would never wear if she had the choice, and worst of all, she couldn't shake the nervousness of –

The boys stepped a little closer to Suzumeko, snapping her out of her relentless thoughts, making her jump. She grabbed the empty platter from the table beside her and held it up, shielding her from the boys. She blushed in embarrassment, her heart pounding wildly, unable to believe that she had done that.

"I-I'm sorry…" she murmured, barely audible, as she slowly side-stepped before briskly walking in the other direction. This was bad. Her paranoia was coming back, threatening to make her lapse into a mental break-down, ruining her night further. Maybe she should just hide in the bathroom until this was all over. She couldn't risk having a fit here…

Suzumeko noticed the crowd shift and grow quiet and followed their gazes. She could see the top of a piano propped open, but she couldn't peer over the heads to see who was producing the elegant music that started streaming from the musical instrument. Curious, she slowly and carefully made her way through the crowd, trying to see who was playing. As the last few people split to let her through, she saw none other than Tamaki, his fingers dancing across the keys, apparently lost in his music.

Suzumeko gaped at the King of the Host Club, almost as if she was in a trance. She didn't know that Tamaki could play, let alone that he could play such beautiful music. It was incredible. Nobody made a sound or movement, completely enthralled in the soft chords. When Tamaki finally finished the song, everyone broke out in applause as he stood and bowed.

And with that, the party ended. Everyone started filing out, chatting about how talented and dreamy Tamaki was. A few of Suzumeko's classmates came up to her, giving her hugs and handshakes before they left. As the last person exited the room, Renge approached Suzumeko.

"Thank you for helping out," she said, sounding all bubbly. She handed Suzumeko an envelope. "Here you go. Just like I promised."

Suzumeko watched her go, forgetting for a moment what Renge had promised before she remembered that the blonde had offered to pay her for her work. Suzumeko flipped up the tab and peered inside, counting the coins.

_2000 yen_! Renge had given her 2000 yen, just for a few hours of work.

Well, maybe this night wasn't a _complete_ waste.


End file.
